THE MEANING OF AMERICAN CITIZENSHIP
Commissioner of Immigration and Naturalization

Today you have become a citizen of the United States of America.
You are no longer an Englishman, a Frenchman, an Italian, a Pole.
Neither are you a hyphenated-American  a Polish-American,
an Italian-American. You are no longer a subject of a government.
Henceforth, you are an integral part of this Government
 a free man  a Citizen of the United States of America.

This citizenship, which
has been solemnly conferred on you, is a thing of the spirit
 not of the flesh. When you took the oath of allegiance
to the Constitution of the United States, you claimed for yourself
the God-given unalienable rights which that sacred document sets
forth as the natural right of all men.

You have made sacrifices
to reach this desired goal. We, your fellow citizens, realize
this, and the warmth of our welcome to you is increased proportionately.
However, we would tincture it with friendly caution.

As you have learned during
these years of preparation, this great honor carries with it
the duty to work for and make secure this longed-for and eagerly-sought
status. Government under our Constitution makes American
citizenship the highest privilege and at the same time the greatest
responsibility of any citizenship in the world.

The important rights that
are now yours and the duties and responsibilities attendant thereon
are set forth elsewhere in this manual. It is hoped that they
will serve as a constant reminder that only by continuing to
study and learn about your new country, its ideals, achievements,
and goals, and by everlastingly working at your citizenship can
you enjoy its fruits and assure their preservation for generations
to follow.

May you find in this Nation the fulfillment of your dreams of
peace and security, and may America, in turn, never find you
wanting in your new and proud role of Citizen of the United States.

[from: Basic Guide to Naturalization
and Citizenship, Immigration and Naturalization Service, U.S.
Department of Justice]

Washington knew that the Boston malster, and the Pennsylvania
printer, and the Rhode Island anchor-smith, and the New Jersey
preacher, and the New York lawyer, and the men who stood with
him were Americans.

He knew it, I say and by what
divination? By a test more searching than any mere peculiarity
of manners, dress, or speech; by a touchstone able to divide
the gold of essential character from the alloy of superficial
characteristics; by a standard which disregarded alike Franklin's
fur cap and Putnam's old felt hat, Morgan's leather leggings
and Witherspoon's black silk gown and John Adams' lace ruffles,
to recognize and approve, beneath these various garbs, the vital
sign of America woven into the very souls of the men who belonged
to her by a spiritual birthright.

For what is true Americanism,
and where does it reside? Not on the tongue, nor in the
clothes, nor among the transient social forms, refined or rude,
which mottle the surface of human life. The log cabin has
no monopoly of it, nor is it an immovable fixture of the stately
pillared mansion. Its home is not on the frontier nor in
the populous city, not among the trees of the wild forest nor
the cultured groves of academe. its dwelling is in the
heart. It speaks a score of dialects but one language,
follows a hundred paths to the same goal, performs a thousand
kinds of service in loyalty to the same ideal which is its life.
True Americanism is this:

To believe that the inalienable
rights of man to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness
are given by God.

The more profoundly we study
this wonderful book [the Bible], and the more closely we observe
its divine
precepts, the better citizens we will become
and the higher will be our destiny as a nation.
 William McKinley

There is a tide in the affairs
of men, a nick of time. We perceive it now before us. To
hesitate is to consent to our own slavery.

That noble instrument upon
your table,that insures immortality to its author, should be
subscribed this very morning by every pen in this house. He
that will not respond to its accents, and strain every nerve
to carry into effect its provisions, is unworthy of the name
of free man.

For my own part, of property,
I have some; of reputation, more. That reputation is staked,
that property is pledged on the issue of this contest; and although
these grey hairs must soon descend into the sepulcher, I would
infinitely rather that they descend thither by the hand of the
executioner than desert at this crisis the sacred cause of my
country.

The following information on Folding the
Flag was sent by Russell Maynard of Michigan. Did you know
that government schools stopped teaching this in 1955? Sad,
isn't it! The flag is folded 13 times to symbolize the original
13 colonies, but there is much more to the flag folding. Read
on ...

The 1st fold of our flag
is a symbol of life.

The 2nd fold is a symbol of
our belief in eternal life.

The 3rd fold is made in honor
and remembrance of the veterans departing our ranks who gave a
portion of their lives for the defense of our country to attain
peace throughout the world.

The 4th fold represents our
weaker nature, for as American citizens trusting in God, it is
to Him we turn in times of peace as well as in time of war for
His divine guidance.

The 5th fold is a tribute to
our country, for in the words of Stephen Decaur, "Our Country,
in dealing with other countries, may she always be right; but
it is still our country, right or wrong."

The 6th fold is for where our
hearts lie. It is with our hearts that, "We pledge
allegiance to the flag of the United States Of America, and to
the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible,
with Liberty and Justice for all."

The 7th fold is a tribute to
our Armed Forces, for it is through the Armed Forces that we protect
our country and our flag against all her enemies, whether they
be found within or without the boundaries of our republic.

The 8th fold is a tribute to the one who entered into the valley
of the shadow of death, that we might see the light of day.

The 9th fold is a tribute to
womanhood, and Mothers. For it has been through their faith,
their love, loyalty and devotion that the character of the men
and women who have made this country great has been molded.

The 10th fold is a tribute to
the fathers, for they, too, have given their sons and daughters
for the defense of our country since they were first born.

The 11th fold represents the
lower portion of the seal of King David and King Solomon and glorifies
in the Hebrews' eyes, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

The 12th fold represents an
emblem of eternity and glorifies, in the Christians' eyes, God
the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.

The 13th fold, or when the flag
is completely folded, the stars are uppermost reminding us of
our nation's motto, "In God We Trust."

After the flag is completely
folded and tucked in, it takes on the appearance of a cocked hat,
ever reminding us of the soldiers who served under General George
Washington, and the sailors and marines who served under Captain
John Paul Jones, who were followed by their comrades and shipmates
in the Armed Forces of the United States, preserving for us the
rights, privileges and freedoms we enjoy today. There are
some traditions and ways of doing things that have deep meaning.
In the future, you'll see flags folded and now you will know why.

Do you know that at
military funerals, the 21 gun salute actually stands for the sum
of the numbers in the year 1776?

Carpenter's Hall
The site of the First Continental Congress, home to Benjamin Franklin's
Library Company and the American Philosophical Society. Many interesting
historical events occurred at Carpenter's Hall. Learn all about
it!

I was born an American; I live an American;
I shall die an American; and I intend to perform the duties incumbent
upon me in that character to the end of my career. I
mean to do this with absolute disregard of personal consequences.
What are the personal consequences?
What is the individual man, with all the good or evil that may
betide him, in comparison with the good or evil which may befall
a great country, and in the midst of great transactions which
concern that country's fate?
Let the consequences be what they
will, I am careless. No man can suffer too much, and no
man can fall too soon, if he suffer, or if he fall, in the defense
of the liberties and constitution of his country.

The first time I ever saw Mr. Webster was on the 17th of June,
1825, at the laying of the cornerstone of the Bunker Hill Monument.
I shall never forget his appearance as he strode across
the open area, encircled by some fifty thousand persons 
men and women, waiting for the "Orator of the Day,"
nor the shout that simultaneously burst forth, as he was recognized,
carrying up to the skies the name of "Webster!" "Webster!"
"Webster!"

It was one of those lovely
days in June, when the sun is bright, the air clear, and the
breath of nature so sweet and pure as to fill every bosom with
a grateful joy in the mere consciousness of existence. There
were present long files of soldiers in their holiday attire;
there were many associations, with their mottoed banners; there
were lodges and grand lodges, in white aprons and blue scarfs;
there were miles of citizens from the towns and the country round
about; there were two hundred gray haired men, remnants of the
days of the Revolution.

Mr. Webster was in the very
zenith of his fame and of his powers.

There was a grandeur in his
form, an intelligence in his deep dark eye, a loftiness in his
expansive brow, a significance in his arched lip, altogether
beyond those of any other human being I ever saw. And these,
on the occasion to which I allude, had their full expression
and interpretation.

When he came to address the
few scarred and time worn veterans, some forty in number, who
had shared in the bloody scene which all had now gathered to
commemorate, he paused a moment, and, as he uttered the words
"Venerable men," his voice trembled, and I could see
a cloud pass over the sea of faces that turned upon the speaker.

He said: "Our poor
work may perish, but thine shall endure: this monument
may moulder away, the solid ground it rests upon may sink down
to the level of the sea; but thy memory shall not fail. Wherever
among men a heart shall be found that beats to the transports
of patriotism and liberty, its aspirations shall claim kindred
with thy spirit!"

I have never seen such an effect,
from a single passage. Lifted as by inspiration, every
breast seemed now to expand, every gaze to turn above, every
face to beam with a holy yet exulting enthusiasm. It was
the omnipotence of eloquence, which, like the agitated sea, carries
a host upon its waves, sinking and swelling with its irresistible
undulations.

Navy Band
Includes audio clips on Stars & Stripes Forever, This Is My
Country, Anchors Away (has choral arrangement), Gershwin Fantasy,
Overture, Nutville, Clydascope, Thank You, I Wish, Rocky Top and
Sugarland Run all performed by the USN Band and pretty much anything
else you would care to know about the USN band. Be sure to check
out their links page for more military band music.

Marine Band
Includes history, public events, and you can even listen to the
Marine
Hymn while singing along with the lyrics that are provided
and the history behind the Marine Hymn. Be sure to check out their
links page for more military band music.

Airforce Band
Includes audio of the Star-Spangled Banner, US Air Force
Blue, and Lord, Guard and Guide the Men Who Fly. Click
here to go directly to the audio clips Be sure to check out their links
page for more military band music.

Uncle Sam Wants
You
Print off the famous graphic of WWII. Troy is the "Home
of Uncle Sam". Uncle Sam or Samuel Wilson was a meat-packer
in Troy during the War of 1812 and supplied meat to US soldiers
in a nearby federal encampment. The barrels of beef he supplied
were labelled US (for United States), but the running joke was
that US stood for UncleSam. Since then Uncle Sam has become synonymous
with the federal government.

Request: Do
you have any special activites (craft, academic, or otherwise)
for the 4th of July or Independence Day?
If so, e-mail us your ideas by clicking
here&COPY; Beverly Schmitt 1997-2004, all rights reserved
Questions/Comments? E-mail admin@lovetolearnplace.com

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